Spain, United States of America, Croatia and Australia win groups

Overview

In Group A, Spain took out first place with a 15-5 downing of fourth-ranked Israel and Netherlands finished second with a 17-6 win over New Zealand.

In Group B, United States of America outplayed Italy 14-6 to go through undefeated while Greece took out second place by delivering Hungary a third consecutive defeat, winning their encounter 15-11.

In Group C, Croatia secured the group with a third win, downing Argentina 19-11 and Brazil pleased the home crowd with a 28-3 demolition of Mexico for second place.

In Group D, Australia claimed top ranking with a 14-8 victory over China and Canada took third place with a 14-8 win over South Africa.

Final Points

Group A: Spain 9, Netherlands 6, New Zealand 3, Israel 0
Group B: United States of America 8, Greece 7, Italy 3, Hungary 0
Group C: Croatia 9, Brazil 6, Argentina 3, Mexico 0
Group D: Australia 9, China 6, Canada 3, South Africa 0

Day 4 Schedule

Group E (Classification 13-16)
Match 25. 10:30. Argentina v South Africa
Match 26. 12:00. Canada v Mexico

Crossovers
Match 27. 13:30. Israel v Croatia
Match 28. 16:00. Hungary v Australia
Match 29. 17:30. Italy v China
Match 30. 19:00. New Zealand v Brazil

Match Reports

Match 24, Group B, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 14 ITALY 6 (4-3, 3-0, 4-1, 3-2)

USA’s two senior World Championship senior team athletes, Julia Bonaguidi and Emily Ausmus, brought home 10 of the goals required to beat Italy. And Lucy Haaland-Ford, who played the World Cup earlier this year, added another three, although the first goal was attributed to another player, it appears.

USA started quickly with the first two goals in two attacks, allowing one to slip by on extra and then two Bonaguidi goals (for her third) gave a 4-1 boost to the team. Two Italian goals came in reply in the last four minutes for 4-3. Bonaguidi converted extra for her fourth goal and captain and World Aquatics Media All Star team member Ausmus began her run with a penalty goal and one from the deep left when covered for 7-3 at halftime.

Beatrice Cassara, who had six goals coming into this match, converted a penalty foul to start the second half. It was to be another 12 minutes or more before Italy was to score again. Bonaguidi and Ausmus scored before Haaland-Ford sat up in the middle for her first goal, followed by another Ausmus piece of brilliance from a six-metre foul. Haaland-Ford opened the fourth quarter with a pair followed by Bonaguidi (after an Italian timeout) at 4:03 for 14-4. Eleonora Bianco scored at 3:10 and 2:26 for 14-6.

Match Heroes
Bonaguidi netted six goals and Ausmus four to lead USA. Bianco scored twice for Italy.

Turning Point
The 4-1 score in the first quarter was excellent but holding out Italy in the second and going 7-3 up was the basis for victory.

Stats Don’t Lie
USA converted five from nine on extra and defended four from six. Both teams put away their two penalty attempts; Italy took the steals six to five and outshot USA 28-26.

Bottom Line
USA is running an excellent team in Salvador and is on target for yet another crown should this consistency prevail. Italy finished third in the group.

Match 23, Group B, HUNGARY 11 GREECE 15 (1-6, 3-4, 5-3, 2-2)

Greece blitzed Hungary in the opening quarter and from then on Hungary steeled itself and won the next three periods. By then the damage had been done and a third consecutive loss was registered. The previous loss for the Hungarians was the opening match of the 2023 edition when it went down 14-13 against Italy in a penalty shootout. However, it turned the tables on the Italians in the semifinals, winning 10-9 en route to the gold medal. Turning the tables tonight is only a manner of speech as taking three quarters is usually enough, but not in Salvador.

Goals were traded at the start with Greece leading the way through senior star Dionysia Koureta. Greece’s other big guns also came to the fore —women who have been through thick and thin, winning the World Cup and the World Championship crowns this year. Nefeli Krassa on counter and Foteini Tricha with a double showed their recent experience to excellent effect. This trio will prove vital to the team in the second stage of competition. Ariadni Karampetsou converted a penalty and Tricha grabbed her third from the top nearly a minute before the quarter break. Kata Hajdu, a youngster on the senior team after winning gold at juniors two years ago, scored twice in the second period and Laura Kardos once as Greece impressed to the tune of 10-4. Tricha converted a penalty, Karampetsou blasted from eight metres and Krassa added a pair.

Karampetsou started the second half with a penalty goal and goals were traded to 12-6. Eszter Macsai followed up Dominika Kardos’ deep-right goal with her strike on extra. Greece stopped play with a timeout but the eventual shot hit wood. Laura Kardos on counter and Bibor Pogonyi on extra made it four in a row for Hungary and narrowed the margin to three. Despoina Drakotou took a cross pass on extra to centre forward for 13-9 while a Greek penalty attempt failed to find the mark, spraying wide right.

Krassa put paid to any thoughts that Hungary could make a huge revival, scoring twice in the fourth period, firstly on extra and then on counter for a six-goal margin at 5:54. Hajdu sent in a penalty goal at 4:32, giving faint hope. Both teams took timeouts and only Hungary managed to convert its extra-man opportunity by drawing a penalty foul, which Macsai converted at 1:13, the final score.

Match Heroes
Greece’s Krassa with six goals to give her 12 for the week; Tricha scored four to bring up 10 and Karampetsou grabbed three for eight. Macsai and Hajdu scored three each for Hungary and the goalkeepers saved 12.

Turning Point
The 6-1 first quarter was almost embarrassing for Hungary. From there Hungary won the match 10-9.

Stats Don’t Lie
Greece put away five from 10 on extra to Hungary’s two from four. Greece missed one of four penalty attempts and Hungary scored two. Greece took the steals and six to four and overall shots at 34-29.

Bottom Line
Hungary has not been strong this week and Greece took advantage as the second best team in the group.

Match 22, Group C, MEXICO 3 BRAZIL 28 (0-10, 1-6, 1-5, 1-7)

Brazil swam roughshod over Mexico with a vast array of shots, including nine on counter and minimising fouling. Brazil only gave up two penalty fouls. Brazil had six goals in the bag before Mexico’s Tabata Alba swum up for a penalty shot that hit the left post. Three goals on extra and one from action had Brazil at 10 by the quarter break. Captain Maiah Nascimento set the ball rolling with the first three goals and Stefany Azevedo and Nicolly dos Santos scored consecutive goals each. Leticia Lorieto scored twice to open the second quarter as the score moved to 15-0. Mercedes Feliciano stopped the drought with a big shot from the right side of the pool to open Mexico’s account. Ana de Barros made it 16-1 accepting a pass at centre forward just before the turn.

Nascimento crashed the crossbar on penalty at the top of the second half but scored on the next attack. Da Silva and Lidia Rocha scored twice each before Feliciano again made the sheet, converting a penalty foul, seconds from the final break. Vivian Rangel brought up Mexico’s third goal firing from wide off the left post. Dos Santos grabbed three in a row with another three coming in the final three minutes for 28-3.

Match Heroes
Dos Santos with five, Nascimento and da Silva with four and Rocha with three for Brazil. There were 11 scorers in all. For Mexico, Feliciano made two and goalie Alma Luna snared seven saves

Turning Point
The opening whistle.

Stats Don’t Lie
Brazil converted all six chances and gave none to Mexico. Both missed a penalty attempt from Mexico’s two and Brazil’s three. Brazil stole the ball 17 to four and shot 43 times to 18.

Bottom Line
Brazil was always going to be on the front foot against the less experienced Mexicans.

Match 21, Group A, SPAIN 15 ISRAEL 5 (4-0, 4-0, 5-2, 2-3)

Spain was all over Israel and denied it goal entry in the first half. It was a case of action goals in a match where scoring on extra was never going to win the encounter. Spain was excellent around the pool, made the opportunities and created space from which to action goals. Alba Munoz and Olympic champion Isabel Piralkova scored twice each in the half.

Miya Tirosh scored Israel’s first goal in the second half from deep right and goals were traded to 9-2. Four Spanish goals came with Munoz and Piralkova book-ending the surge for 13-2 at the last break. Noga Levinshtein on extra after a timeout and Gili Borenstein on penalty, lifted the scored to 13-4 by midway through the fourth period. A pair of Spanish goals sent it to 15-4 and Arbelle Bousnach beat the buzzer with a shot from just inside halfway for 15-5 at 0:55.

Match Heroes
Piralkova top-scored with three goals in a match where 15 players made the sheet. The Spanish goalkeepers pulled in 12 saves.

Turning Point
Keeping Israel scoreless in the first half was where the victory was constructed.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain converted one from two and Israel two from four on extra. Both teams scored a penalty goal; Spain made 10 steals to two and outshot Israel 35-26.

Bottom Line
Spain was the elite team and destined to go far in the tournament. Israel is still to win a match.

Match 20, Group A, NETHERLANDS 17 NEW ZEALAND 6 (4-2, 4-1, 4-3, 5-0)

Netherlands easily took out second place in the group with a solid effort against New Zealand. The Dutch were too good all around the pool and had the incomparable Linde Haksteen in top form. New Zealand opened through Emison Styris on extra and then the Dutch swung into action with four goals before Holly Dunn repeated Styris’ effort, 18 seconds from the quarter buzzer for 4-2. Haksteen rattled in three straight from the left side of the pool for 7-2 in the second period with goals traded, Styris gaining her second.

Dutch captain Robin Jutte scored the first two goals of the third quarter, either side of a saved Kiwi penalty attempt. New Zealand’s Una Dennehy needed VAR to confirm her first goal in Salvador for 10-4, starting a trade through to 12-6 by the last break. New Zealand had a second penalty attempt shut down and Erika Paterson backhanded a goal after having few chances. The Kiwis were kept at bay in the final eight minutes as senior international Pien Gorter blasted one in from the top left and Haksteen went on another three-goal splurge. Melissa Schipper scored the last goal from the top left at 0:58 and the match was sealed.

Match Heroes
Haksteen with six goals while goalkeeper Caitlin van Leeuwen made 11 saves in three periods for the Dutch. Styris scored twice for the Kiwis.

Turning Point
The 4-1 start and 10-3 lead, plus the final-quarter shut-out gave Netherlands the win.

Stats Don’t Lie
Netherlands converted all four extra chances and stopped three of seven Kiwi attempts. New Zealand had both penalty attempts saved; Netherlands went 8-7 on steals and 30-21 on shots.

Bottom Line
The Dutch were a more balanced team with plenty of firepower with excellent positioning and passing. New Zealand took its chances but could only get a scoring chance into centre forward once.

Match 19, Group D, CHINA 8 AUSTRALIA 14 (1-4, 3-3, 4-4, 0-3)

Australia topped its group with a third victory in the major showdown, leaving China to settle for second in the group. The victory was built on a 5-1 lead early in the second quarter and superior extra-player statistics. There were five different scorers in the first quarter with Australia starting first through Bless Daly and a response two minutes later with a centre-forward backhand by Huang Zerui. The Aussies gained two goals on counter with the second through Taafili Taoso. Goals were traded to 6-3 in the second quarter before China grabbed consecutive goals for 6-4. Daly converted extra for her second of the period to give Australia a 7-4 halftime advantage.

Sienna Owen drove to centre forward to score the second-half’s first goal and 8-4. Then China came back strongly with three unanswered goals, including as second for Zhang Jingwen while Xie Linshan’s lob needing VAR to decide whether it had beaten the buzzer. Daly and senior international Zhang Yumian swapped goals for 9-8. Australia went to timeout and Taoso obliged with her second goal and soon after Charley Stephens scored an identical goal for 11-8 at the last break. China could not find a way through in the final quarter and Taoso scored twice more with Ebony Nash gaining her second goal, this time with a backhand from two metres.

Match Heroes
Taoso and Daly with four goals each for the Aussies and goalkeeper Isabel Scott took in eight saves. For China, Zhang Jingwen scored twice and goalie Yan Xintong made nine saves.

Turning Point
The 5-1 start was just enough to hold out China when it came close at 9-8.

Stats Don’t Lie
Australia was all powerful on extra, converting eight from 16 compared to China’s two from seven. Australia scored the only penalty goal, won the steals 9-8 and the shots 29-27.

Bottom Line
Australia proved the more dominant team in front of goal and scoring that many goals on extra was the difference.

Match 18, Group D, CANADA 14 SOUTH AFRICA 8 (3-5, 3-3, 3-5, 2-6)

Canada secured third placing in the group with its first victory, leaving South Africa winless and in fourth position. Canada had the services of Isabella Mady who could score from anywhere and a team around her. Brooklyn Plomp scored two for Canada in the opening quarter while Bella Murray backhanded from four metres wide of the post for 4-2. Mady turned up in the second quarter with the first two goals, one on extra and the other with a lob. She scored the final two Canadian goals, one on extra and the second with a backhander from four metres. Emma Pelicot gained South Africa’s sole goal with a strike from wide left.

Goals were traded in the third quarter to 11-5 with Mady in the mix and Jaime van den Bosch scoring her second South African goal, also from wide out. Plomp scored the 12-5 goal from eight metres with a second left on the clock. Cianne Benjamin started the fourth quarter with her second goal but this one after a steal from well inside her half and then launched a long shot into an empty South African goal as the South African goalkeeper was scrambling from the right side of the pool. Senior international Hannah Banks (RSA) slotted a penalty goal for 13-6; Canada had a penalty shot rejected; Mady claimed her eighth goal with a lob shot and South African Cate McMurray scored the final two goals in the last 95 seconds — on counter and from deep right for 14-8.

Match Heroes
Mady with a six-goal haul and Plomp with three for Canada. McMurray and van den Bosch scored twice each for South Africa.

Turning Point
From 4-2 at the quarter, Canada shot out to 8-2, setting up the victory.

Stats Don’t Lie
Canada converted two from four on extra and South Africa one from three. Canad missed its penalty chance and South Africa made sure of its one attempt. South Africa controlled the steals at 12-7 and outshot Canada 28-26.

Bottom Line
Canada had Mady with extraordinary skills.

Match 17, Group C, ARGENTINA 11 CROATIA 19 (3-5, 3-3, 3-5, 2-6)

Croatia came up with its third victory to win the group and Argentina has to settle for third. The final score flattered Croatia as Argentina battled hard throughout and maintained some attachment, especially at 12-9 behind three minutes from the final break. Jelena Butic scored the first three Croatian goals and Ria Glas the next two as Croatia took command. Isabella Mastronardi finished the quarter scoring with her second from the top left for Argentina. Croatia went 6-3 and Argentina pulled two back starting with a Mastronardi penalty goal. Neli Jankovic had her penalty attempt saved and traded goals brought up the 8-6 scoreline by halftime.

Goals were swapped to 10-8, three minutes into the third period before Butic shot from the top and Iva Rozic converted a penalty for 12-8. Mastronardi replied on extra from deep left and Glas drove to centre forward and lobbed for 13-9 two minutes from the final break. The score moved to 15-10 before Glas added three more and Niki Alamat finished with a counter-attack goal for 19-11.

Match Heroes
Glas with a tournament-high eight goals, Butic with five and Jankovic three were Croatia’s best while Argentina’s Mastronardi made four goals and goalkeeper Faustina Escola took in 11 saves in her time in water.

Turning Point
Butic’s quick opening strike gave notice but it was not until midway through the second quarter that Croatia created a separation that Argentina struggled to bridge.

Stats Don’t Lie
Argentina scored all three extra chances and Croatia one from two. Argentina made two penalty goals and Croatia two from three. Croatia topped the steals 11-5 and shot more at 38-29.

Bottom Line
Croatia, full of senior internationals, had the bigger players and more strength to wear down the smaller Argentinians.